With millennials — that is, people born in the 1980s and 1990s — set to make up half of the U.S. work force by 2020, the need for nonprofits to build ties with these young people is gaining urgency.
Yet many charities find it challenging to connect with millennials, and experts agree that traditional fundraising approaches often don’t work with this group. Recent studies help explain why and provide insights into some of the characteristics that define this generation.
For example, studies show that peers have more influence on millennials’ giving decisions than do ties to an institution or its representatives. Younger donors also value volunteerism, desire firsthand experience with charities, and want to know how their money is being used.
Here are a few resources to help you attract millennials to your cause — and keep them engaged.
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AdviceBeyond the Traditional Junior Board: Ways to Turn Millennials Into Leaders
Young people may be new to nonprofit leadership, but does it make sense to relegate them to the “kids’ table”? -
Fundraising
Colleges Are Inventing New Ways to Attract Recent Graduates to Donate
A new study finds young people are far more inclined to give to causes other than their alma mater. -
Corporate Giving
Millennials Are Drawn to Companies That Offer Chances to Volunteer
New research finds that young employees want an array of ways to give through their employers, including donating their time. -
Donors
Volunteer Opportunities Help Employers Attract Talent, Report Says
More than half of millennials in a new survey said their companies’ giving and volunteering activities helped them make the decision to accept a job. -
Advice
Lifestyles, Attitudes, and Technology Are Shaping Millennials’ Giving
Technology gives young donors easier access to data about charities, but not having a lifelong affiliation with jobs or religion changes how nonprofits reach them, say experts. -
Tomorrow's Donors
Young Donors Like to Be Actively Involved in Nonprofits
Millennials, much more than earlier generations, are more likely to be influenced by peers when deciding which charities to support. -
A Chronicle Live Event
How to Build Ties to Young Donors and Volunteers
Watch a recording of a Google+ hangout with charity experts who have attracted people in their 20s to good causes. -
Tomorrow's Donors
How to Raise Money From Young Donors
Talk in young people’s language, let donors get close, explain where the money goes, and other advice. -
Tomorrow's Donors
NPR Attracts the Young by Inviting Their Ideas
Generation Listen holds events to involve millennials in public radio, invite their feedback, and spread the word among their peers. -
Tomorrow's Donors
NPR’s Tips for Reaching Millennials
Start with a small group, and treat them like one of the family.
